Catherine55

Hi, Skinny Mini Me! Don't let that friend get you down. Also, the food changes really aren't that big of a deal. It's no hardship to "only" eat a smaller portion when that portion makes you feel 100% full and satisfied. I just had my third year bandiversary yesterday, and I've been at goal for more than a year. This process has been so overwhelmingly positive, and I don't question my decision to get banded for a second. I just put up a post on my blog for my bandiversary (link below), and in it, I wrote a letter to my pre-band self from my perspective today. If you're interested, take a look at it, since it probably addresses things you are thinking and worrying about now. Also -- on the telling people thing, I elected not to tell anyone at work and was selective about who I told outside of the office. I'm glad that I did that -- I really was glad to have my privacy through this process and not to have people bothering me about my food choices or giving me their unsolicited opinions about my decision to have WLS. Sending you best wishes for much success, Catherine

Hi! I wanted to put up a post today because I just celebrated my third anniversary of my band surgery yesterday! I just wanted to encourage everyone who is starting out in this process and everyone who is considering going down this road. I've been below my goal for more than a year now, and life is good! Had I known how much better I would feel, I would have done the surgery sooner. Also, to all newbies -- take your measurements and write them down ASAP! Also, take a bunch of "before" photos. You will definitely want them later. I wish I'd known to do this three years ago! And, finally, I want to thank everyone on this site -- this was a major source of information for me when I was deciding whether to have the surgery, and I am so glad that it was available to me. Best wishes, Catherine

I think that sounds OK. You could probably take in more calories, but if you're not hungry and are getting in your Protein, why don't you wait until your appetite kicks in? It's hard for me to know if what you're eating is OK without knowing the foods you are getting the calories from though. Maybe write it all down and take your food journal with you to the doctor next time you go. Glad it's going well for you! Catherine

Hang in there!! It gets a lot better! You are smart to walk around -- that helps get the gas moving out, which will reduce the pain you are feeling. I take chewable One a Day Vitamins -- you should ask your doctor what's right for you. This is a really incredible tool -- and it really works if you work with it!! Am sending all of the newbies on this post best wishes for lots of success with your bands! Also, take "before" pictures and your measurements today if you haven't already!! You will want them later! Best wishes, Catherine

Hi! I wasn't nauseus after surgery -- I just had a bit of pain in my shoulder from the gas. It was a LOT less than I expected. If you want, you can click on my blog link, go to the beginning of the blog and read what I wrote about it, the surgery experience, and recovery while it was happening. Honestly, it was a lot easier than I thought it would be. As for the pills, you'll probably need to crush them before swallowing. I don't think you can swallow them whole -- but ask your doctor. If you haven't done it yet, take your measurements and a bunch of "before" photos! You will DEFINITELY want them later on! Also, if you need something to do while you're recovering at home, you can "size" your closet -- group all the like sizes together so that you don't miss wearing clothes that you like as you get back into the different sizes in your closet. Best wishes for your success, Catherine

Make a pro/con list of the reasons you want the surgery -- and put the pros in the letter. I found my list really helpful through this whole process, and it was interesting to look at it as I worked toward goal, and even now during maintenance. Here is a LINK to my list, if you want to check it out. Also, the diagram shown here will help you with some pros.... http://chroniclesfrombandland.blogspot.com/2009/12/post-for-yana-and-all-bandsters-to-be.html Sending you best wishes -- this surgery works!! Best, Catherine

You might want a heating pad for your shoulder after you get home! Also, if you haven't taken before photos and your measurements, you should do that as soon as you're back home (and the swelling from the gas has gone down)! Congratulations on your surgery and best wishes for an incredible year -- and more to come!! Best, Catherine

Kaydin, please don't worry!! You are in the phase called "Bandster Hell!" I'm always surprised that our doctors don't really explain that phase at the beginning. I gained 5 pounds back between the time I got on solid food and had my first fill. But... guess what?? That weight and much, much more all came off once I got to good restriction. The same will happen for you! Just hang in there and try to eat moderately and not to gain weight. It's OK if you aren't losing -- right now you're supposed to just focus on healing. I actually took some comfort in Bandster Hell once I figured out what it was all about. The idea that I could still eat "normally" if I didn't have a fill made the surgery a lot less scary to me. Even though (and I'm 2 yrs & 9 mos out) I've never wanted to get my fill out so that I could eat more, knowing that's a possibility was kind of comforting to me at first (now I don't care -- I love my band!) I hope that helps! Feel free to check out my old posts on my blog -- if you go back to 2010, you can see all about my shameful gain during Bandster Hell and how I lost after that. Best wishes for lots of success for you! Catherine

Thank you guys so much for your nice comments!! And, congratulations to Bodacious Barbie and La Dolce Vita on your decisions and upcoming surgery! OH BOY.... I REALLY WISH THEY STILL HAD THAT FEATURE THAT LET ME TURN OFF THE SIGNATURE.... HERE GOES THE GIANT CHEESECAKE PHOTO AGAIN...... APOLOGIES! This is so obnoxious!! Catherine

One more thing -- I actually didn't find it to be as painful as I thought it would be. I'd say it was more like a 4. The gas was uncomfortable the day of the surgery, but it didn't hurt -- it was just uncomfortable. My shoulder was the only thing that hurt (from the gas), but it was just an ache (basically, a constant stabbing pain, but not one that was so bad that I would cry about it! Complain, yes. Cry, no! LOL). And, the shoulder pain faded quite a lot each day until it was just really faint, then it went away entirely. My incisions and port area didn't hurt at all (though i just went back to my October 2008 post about surgery and see that I wrote that my port area felt a little sore after surgery). That said, I slept on my stomach for part of the second night after surgery and was fine. Honestly, I thought the surgery was going to be a lot more painful than it was. I was surprised that it wasn't harder. Am going to try to post this one without my gigantic signature photo! No clue how to make that thing smaller! Best wishes, Catherine

It's so normal to have doubts and second-guess yourself as your surgery date gets closer. Don't stress about it too much. What I did, that I found really helpful, was to write out a pro/con list of all the reasons I wanted to have the surgery and the reasons I was afraid to do it. In retrospect, my "cons" didn't turn out to be a big deal at all, but the pros were all true. Here's a LINK to my list, in case you want to check it out (it's the second post.. just wanted you to see the Post Op Plan for Success too -- could be helpful). My other advice to you is to take a bunch of "before" photos today if you haven't done it already, and to take -- and write down -- your measurements. You will definitely want this information later! I hope that helps -- and, CONGRATULATIONS!! You have so much to look forward to in the next year especially -- lots of good changes and NSVs (non-scale victories) and SVs are heading your way! Best wishes, Catherine

Yup. They kinda lied to you. But this really is so different from a normal diet because when you're at a good fill level, you eat less without being hungry or feeling deprived. So, they kinda were telling the truth, too (but that statement is so misleading -- they should not say that!)! That is so awesome!! I am rooting for you!! Would you consider starting a blog? It's incredible how much encouragement you get on-line, and posting regularly will help to keep you on path and will also let you get good advice and encouragement from other bandsters. I think your strategy is a really good one and am looking forward to seeing you succeed!! :) Catherine

I'm sorry to hear that. I think the advice on checking your band to make sure it's not leaking is a good one. Other than that, you have to stay really proactive with your care and fill level for this to work. Not going to the clinic for a whole year surely played a part in why you gained back 40 pounds. The band is just a tool -- it won't do the work for you. But, it's a really good tool, and the good news is that you already have one!! Why don't you give it six more months before you make a decision? That's six serious, committed months. You know that you succeeded during your first six months, and I bet that if you are honest with yourself that there are things you did differently during that time that you have not been doing since then. You won't know if the band really works for you unless you follow the rules and keep going back to your doctor until you are at a good fill level. If you keep your band too open and eat whatever you want, there is a 100% chance that it's not going to work for you. Also, if there is a leak in your band and you don't get it fixed, the band will not help you to lose weight. You have to take charge and be involved in this process for it to work. That said, it's not too late for you. You can start again right this second. With best wishes for your success, Catherine

If you're journaling your calories honestly, the problem might be that you're not taking enough calories. I had a few plateaus where my body just stalled on weight loss, and I'd up my calories for a day (I do not recommend doing this frequently!! Maybe once a quarter, at most!) ... er, by eating some ice cream. Then, the next day, I'd go back to my normal good program, and it actually seemed to jumpstart me a bit. That said, if the issue is just that you're eating more than you are writing down, this will not work for you! Another thing that stalled me a lot was when I started exercising seriously. Muscle weighs more than fat, so as I was building muscle, the scale just stayed still -- despite that I was doing a really hard core boot camp workout. That was really frustrating. However, fortunately, I kept my measurements through this whole process, so I was able to at least see that I was losing inches, if not pounds, during that time. I hope that helps! Hang in there! You are doing really well with 25+ pounds down already! Best wishes, Catherine

Definitely count me in as a happy bandster! And I know a ton of other bandsters through my blog -- not a single one who has ever said that she hates her band! I love mine. It has completely changed my life to be able to feel good about my body and weight, and to finally have control over the one thing -- my weight -- that made me unhappy and that I could not get a handle on by myself. Hang in there on the mushies. It's actually a great phase, since you're not stuck on liquids anymore, and there are a ton of things you can eat. I enjoyed ff refried Beans with cheese a few times during that phase. Yum. Why don't you consider starting a blog to get more involved in your process? That was an enormous help to me. It kept me honest and accountable, and provided a whole network of information and support that I never imagined I'd get that way. It really made a huge difference to me. I also like that I started it right before my surgery, so I have a diary with photos, data and tons of information chronicling the whole process. I like to go back and see where I was a year -- or two years -- ago, and to see how different I feel. It's incredibly easy to start a blog on www.blogger.com -- give it a thought! My other advice to you is to take your measurements asap if you haven't already, and write them down. And, take a bunch of "before" photos if you don't already have a ton. You will want them later! Wishing you lots of success and happiness with your band, Catherine

I can eat pretty much the same things as I could before the band, save for things like really doughy bread. So, while I'm never going to eat deep dish pizza again, once in a great while, I might eat a bit of crisp, thin crust pizza. In terms of things to have in your fridge, when I was post-op, I spent time making different soups and freezing them in individual Ziplock containers to take to work as lunch. I put several recipes that I really liked that worked well with my band up on my blog (you'll have to go to the Nov. 2008 posts to find them). These days, I generally keep some lunch meat, cheese and granola bars on hand for quick meals/snacks (a snack turns out to be enough for a meal). Eggs are great, too, and I tend to also eat a lot of fish. I hope that helps! If you haven't done it yet, take your measurements and write them down, and take a bunch of before photos! You will want them later! Best wishes, Catherine

Hi! Be sure to ask your doctor things like: - what kind of band he uses, - what his/her rules for pre-op and post-op diet are (how long on Clear liquids, how long on full liquids, how long on mushies), - whether the band is installed with a fill, - how many fills it takes most of his/her patients to get to good restriction, - what his/her philosophy is on fills (when can you come in for your first one and how often you can come in until you get to good restriction), and - whether s/he has recommendations for things you can do now to prepare for your new bandster lifestyle. I know a few bandsters who had PCOS and who got banded in part to get their weight down to address that problem. Because of that, I don't think it would be a bar to you having the surgery. Also -- if you haven't done it yet, take your measurements! And, take a bunch of before photos. You will definitely want them as you go through this process! I really regret not having more "before" photos, since I cropped the heck out of any photos I had when I was at my heaviest. It's helpful and inspiring to be able to see the contrast as you are losing. I hope that helps! Best wishes for lots of success!! Catherine

I think that most people freak out like this before their surgery. I know I did. I'm now 2 1/2 years out, and it turned out to be one of the best decisions I ever made. The thing I wish I would have known when I was pre-op was that -- after you are banded, but before you are at restriction, you can actually eat pretty much EXACTLY the same way you can eat before the surgery. So, if you wind up freaking out and hate it later on, you can get your fill out and eat whatever. The trick, however, is to getting to good restriction and staying there! But, I did find it really comforting to know that I could go back to eating whatever I wanted at any time if I really wanted to. It just turns out that I haven't wanted to do that. One weird thing about being banded is that I actually enjoy food MORE now than I did before. I really never expected that. It turns out that being able to eat something delicious that wouldn't have been an OK "diet food" is a whole lot more enjoyable when you don't spend hours afterwards feeling like sh*t for eating it! And, because you can only eat a small portion of most things before you feel sated and are ready to stop, I don't generally wind up over-doing it on the treats. The band is really an amazing tool. My advice to you is to get yourself back on your pre-op diet in a serious way and really seriously commit to staying on it and doing your post-op diet to the letter. It's not that long that you have to stay on it, and it will be SO worth it to finally feel good about your weight and to be comfortable in your skin. Believe me, I know what I'm talking about here. A few things I did before surgery that I found really helpful were to: 1. Take my measurements and write them down (it was so interesting to be able to track inches lost as I went down on the scales... or during plateaus); 2. Take a bunch of before pictures (OK, this is something I WISH I would have done, but you should learn from my mistake and do it!) 3. Write out a pro/con list for why you are doing this. Include on it the things you're looking forward to about being in a healthy BMI (you can find mine on this page if you want some help getting started... LINK) 4. Write out a post-op plan for what you are going to do to make this work (you can find mine at the same link I included in no. 3). I hope that helps! Hang in there. There is a reason that you've gotten this far in this process. Best wishes, Catherine

I was scared, too. But, everything turned out to be totally fine. Please don't worry. Take a deep breath and relax. This is going to be an amazing tool for you, you will be able to go out to eat and enjoy yourself, to eat the things you like (just less of them). And... the best part of all?! You won't have to feel like cr*p if you eat something you enjoy that isn't a "diet" food now and then. Take a look at some of the bandster blogs if you want to know what it will be like for you! I promise, it's a whole new beginning for you, and you will love it! I have a link to my blog below, and there are a bunch of links to other bandster blogs on the right side of the page. You will see that everyone is doing fine, eating good food and living their lives and enjoying them. Hang in there! It's going to be an amazing journey and you surely will be fine. Best wishes, Catherine

Sending all of you who are about to have your surgery lots of positive thoughts and best wishes!! I remember how scary it was pre-op and how hard it was to imagine that the band WOULD really work, and to picture myself at my goal. But guess what?? If you follow the rules most of the time, it works wonderfully. I'm almost 2 1/2 years post-op and have been at goal for several months. The band has totally changed my life (well, made it possible for me to make big changes and actually stick with them without feeling deprived). It's amazing the changes that have happened over the past few years and how many things I'd forgotten about that I really enjoy now, like shopping... flying.... going to the beach, etc. I know you guys are going to rock your bands and am sending very best wishes for your success! Catherine

I hope that all went really well yesterday!! It's totally normal to be emotional and scared before your surgery! Sending lots of good thoughts and prayers your way. Best wishes for lots of success! Catherine

Whaaa? I've never heard of any doctor with that rule. But, as your doctor. That said, I have cinnamon all the time. I eat oatmeal with cinnamon for Breakfast a few times a week! Catheirne

Hi, RJay! I'm a big fan of the band -- it's been an incredible tool for me. It does work as long as you work with it, and not being hungry is such a HUGE help to keeping you motivated. Actually, not physically being able to overeat is what's surely helped me the most. And it hasn't been a burden to me. I feel full pretty quickly, so it's not like I go around feeling deprived. Also, I had my surgery in Mexico, with a phenominal doctor who you might want to consider. His name is Dr. Rumbaut, and he's in Monterrey (if you go to my blog back to the beginning, you can read about the hospital and my experience, if you're interested). He is banded too, and has done thousands of these operations. Plus, he had relationships with doctors in my area, so I was able to set up my post-op care at NYU before I even had my surgery. I don't know about how guys with your body type tend to lose, but I do know that if you get a band and you follow the rules more often than not, you will lose weight. It's a slow and steady process. I actually liked the slow loss because it gave my skin a chance to shrink back into place. Plus, feeling great about how I'm doing with my weight for more than 2 years in a row has been a wonderful change and a fantastic way to feel! I hope that helps. I'd recommend checking out lots of other bandster blogs to get an idea for what it's like. There are a few guys out there blogging, so if you dig around, you'll find them. I have a link to one (Chris Oliver) on the right side of my blog. Best wishes, Catherine

No one who hasn't been through this can really understand how impossible it is to lose -- and keep off -- weight. And even friends who struggle with weight but are afraid to make a big change like this may be jeallous, or try to stop you from moving forward because of their own fears. I was really worried before surgery that I might chicken out. So, I made a pro/con list (Here is a Link) and I looked at it every time I started questioning my decision. I even took it to the hospital with me on my surgery day, but I didn't need it. Thing is, when I wrote out my reasons for wanting the surgery vs the negatives, the decision was just so clear. Now, I am three years out and I understand in retrospect that none of my cons were real worries for me. This has been a great process, and I absolutely love being at goal, enjoying shopping, being able to do physical activities -- heck, even being able to think about sitting in the middle seat on an airplane without undue stress!! If I can do it, you can do it. Feel free to check out my blog if you want (maybe start from the beginning). Also, take a bunch of "before" photos now -- and take all of your measurements ASAP!! You will definitely want them later. Best wishes for your success, Catherine